In his 1907 book, The Actor and the Stage, Russian theatre theorist Anton Chekhov described a period in Russian theatre history known as the ‘golden age’. This period is often referred to as the Alexandretta Period of Russian theatre, owing to several famous theatres operating from this city between the 1820s and 1920s.
During this time, leading playwrights such as Anton Chekhov, Aleksandr Ostrovsky, and Nikolai Gogol produced some of their greatest works. These included The Seagull, A Simple Plan, and The Iceman Cometh, all of which are still performed today.
These plays were influential in their time and continue to be influential today. Many directors today have a hard time dropping these classic lines: “There was an actor who played soliloquies for half an hour every night before he put on his mask.
History of Stanislavsky’s work
In his book The Making of an Athlete, authors John Restle and Peter Kump make note of Stanislavsky’s work as a theorist.
He references Stanisław Śmiały’s Theory of the Auteur, which outlines how film makers create art by using a set of guidelines to guide their work.
By adhering to the auteur theory, film makers create works that are unique and special to them. This is why so many filmmakers revere him as an authority on cinema. He has truly influenced many successful artists today!
Although written more than a century ago, Stanisław Śmiały’s Theory of the Auteur is still worth taking into account today as it continues to shape the work of film makers today.
How do we remember?
How do we remember? In the case of Stanislavsky’s work, not very well.
Today, in our profession, there is a lack of understanding of his work and his contributions to theatre. This is unfortunate because he was a respected and beloved theatre figure for many years.
He was once referred to as “the father of Method Acting” and his influence on the industry today is strong. His works have been popular among touring companies for years now, making it easier for new artists to come into his works and apply the same pressure and intensity that professionals use in professional shows today.
His legacy will continue long after he dies, as people continue to post their work on YouTube and Twitter (@actingandmethod or @actorsandmethod), so that others can learn from it.
Can we apply his work today?
Can we apply his work today in the theatre profession? Well, that depends on what you can apply it to.
Some of his work can be adapted for contemporary audiences, while others may not. A lot of his work can be applied to any staged narrative, so long as the script is changed up a little.
Another way to apply his work is through interdisciplinary collaboration. Canvases such as dreams and theatre represent two of the most powerful ways we perceive the world around us. By combining the two into a performance piece, both audience members and performers can experience new levels of perception and immersion.
Canvases like these have proven effective at producing powerful experiences for audiences and artists alike.
What should we take from his work?
A major thrust of Stanislavsky’s work was to examine the nature of human experience and actions. His charts and graphs allowed for easy access to his insights into what makes things good and bad, what encourages energy and excitement, and what motivates people to perform.
His work also highlighted the importance of context in theatre performance. He stressed the need for preparation, planning, rehearsals, post-rehearsal evaluation, public presentations, and public anniversaries to be present in theatre performance.
His emphasis on context was also seen in his work on staging performance art. He stressed the need for a set up before each performance, as well as the need for a re-set up after each performance to maintain context and continuity.
His work also highlighted the importance of context in theatre production.
Conclusion
Despite being largely forgotten today, Stanislavsky’s work has had a significant impact on the theatre profession. His theories have been passed down through theory classes and have influenced theatre professionals for decades to come.
His work has been re-released and presented in new ways, which further influences new generations of theatre professionals to take an interest in his work and learn how to use it.
His legacy of classic characterisations is still used today to create archetypes that represent different social classes, or stand-ins for historical figures. This can be seen in everything from film, TV, stage and even contemporary works.
